For monitoring a patient, for example a heartbeat rhythm of the patient, it is known to have the patient wear a telemonitoring device. A telemonitoring device, being a part of a telemonitoring system, is a battery-operated wearable device continuously collecting data from the patient. The patient data are locally stored on the telemonitoring device.
A known telemonitoring system comprises a number of telemonitoring devices such that a battery of a first telemonitoring device may be (re-)charged, while a second telemonitoring device is worn and collects patient data. When the battery of the second telemonitoring device is exhausted, for example, a switch to the first telemonitoring device is made. Consequently, in the end, a part of the collected patient data is stored on the first telemonitoring device, while another part of the collected patient data is stored on the second telemonitoring device.
Apart from collecting patient data, the telemonitoring device may detect abnormalities in e.g. the heart rhythm of the patient and, in response thereto, send an alarm (alert) signal to a monitoring center through a suitable communication connection, e.g. using a mobile phone system. Such an alarm signal may comprise the patient data collected just prior to sending the alarm signal, i.e including the data relating to the detected abnormality. In the monitoring center, a person skilled in analyzing and evaluating the patient data may review the patient data comprised in the alarm signal.
In certain instances, the evaluating person may request additional data, for example data relating to a longer time period prior to the detected abnormality. The request may be sent to the telemonitoring device worn by the patient. However, as described above, the requested patient data may be distributed over the number of telemonitoring devices. As it may be unknown to the evaluating person, and to the patient, on which telemonitoring device the requested data are stored, it is known to send each telemonitoring device to the evaluating person. In order to enable telemonitoring while the data are being collected, analyzed and evaluated, the patient may be provided with replacement telemonitoring devices.
Considering that the block of patient data is distributed, in an unknown number of subblocks of patient data, over an unknown number of telemonitoring devices, a problem of the method and system is that a predetermined part of the patient data has to be retrieved from the number of telemonitoring devices.